Cover-clinching device for cans



W. B. DURANT. COVER CLINCHING DEVICE FOR CANS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 8,1921.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

1'720677190/ ZULLZLQJTL, B. Flu/rant.

Patented Nov. '17, 1922..

WTLTITA'PE B. DURYA'HTT, OF C 'MRRIIDGE, lJLllSSACl-IUSETTS.

COVEB-GLINCHING IDETTICE F015; CANS.

Application filed October S, 1921. Serial No. 508,355.

To aZZ whom. it may concern Be it known that l, VVILLIAM B. Durance, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful T111PlOV8l'll6 in Cover-Clinch ing Devices for Cans, or which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for clinching covers upon cans.

Tn sealing the cov on tin cans by the double seaming process it is often desirable to make said covers fast to said cans at one or more points before the can enters the double seaming machine. This operation which is known clinching prevents the cover from being thrown off the can by the double seaming machine in instances where the cover is somewhat bent or where the contents of the can protrude sufificiently above the can proper to force the cover upwardly.

The object of this'invention is to provide a device for clinching covers to cans as a preparatory step to scaling the cans.

The invention. consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation'nartly in section of a clinching mechanism emoodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating in detail the carrier. can with a cover thereon and clinching rolls.

Fig." '3 is a central transverse section through a can and cover therefor prior to the operation of clinching said cover to said can.

Fig. 4c is a plan view of a can and cover after the latter has been clinched to said can.

Like numerals refer to like parts through out the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 represents bench or table over which a suitable carrier as, for example, an endless belt 2 is adapted to sldc. The carrier is provided regular intervals with lugs 3 which project upwardly therefrom and engage cans 4-. The carrier 2 has an intermittent niotion imparted thereto bv suitable mechanism not illustrated in the drawings, but well known to those skilled in the art. The can i illustrated in.

\ the drawings is a sardine can of well known form which is provided with a horizontally disposed flange 5 extending entirely therearound at the top thereof. The can i is provided with a cover 6 having a depressed central portion '7 adapted to project downwardly a short distance into the interior of the can and flange 8 extends entirely arounu cover and rests upon the flange 5 of said can projecting a short distance beyond'the edge aid flange 5 and when the can is placed upon the carrier 2 prior to its presentation to the clinching instrumen talities, the covero rests loosely upon the flange 5 the can as illustrated in Fig. 3. Tn presenting the can 4 with the cover 6 resting loosely thereon to the clinching instrumentalities it is desirable to temporarily clamp or hell said cover 6 upon said can during the clinching operation. This is accomplished in the following manner :Fast to the upper surface of the bench 1 upon opposite sides of the carrier 2 is a frame 9 in which are formed bearings 10, 11 and 12. Fast to under surface of the bench l are brackets and 1d, the bracket 13 having bearings 15 and 16 form d integral thereh, and the bracket 14 having bearings 17 and 18 formed integral therewith. Rotatab y mounted in the bearing of the frame Q'and the bearing of the bracket 13 is a vertical shaft 19 at the upper end of which is attached cam 20 provided with a cam groove 21 formed therein, while at the lower end of the shaft 19 a bevel gear 22 is fastened. Rotatably mounted in the bearing 11 of the frame 9 and the bearing 17 of the bracket is a vertical shaft 23 at the upper end of which is attached a cam 2 lprovided with cani groove 25 formed therein, while at the lower end of the shaft 23 a bevel gear 26 is fastened. The vertical shafts 19 and 23 'lrivenin unison but in opposite directions by bevel gears 27' and 28 fast to a horizontal driving shaft mounted in the bean ings l6 and 18 of the brackets 13 and i l respectively. The driving shaft 29 has a pulley 30 fast thereto and is driven by a belt 31 from any suitable source of power.

Mounted in the bearing 12 he frame 9 is a vertical slide 32 at the lower end of which is fastened cover clamping member while at the upper end, said s -de 32 has cross bar 3% extending at right angles thereto at the opposite extremities of which cain rolls and 35 fastened. The cam roll 35 is located in the groove 21 of the care 20 and the cam roll 36 is located in the groove 25 of the cam 24. The cross bar 84 PlOjGLtS through guides 37 and 38 formed integral with the frame 9 and the slide 32 is therefore prevented from rocking in the bearing 12 as the reciprocatory movements are imparted to said slide by said cams. \Vith each rotation of the driving shaft 29 the clamping member 33 engages the cover 6 within the depressed portion 7 thereof and forces the flange 8 of said cover tightly against the flange 5 of the can 4. The mechanism for performing the clinching operation is as follows :Fast to the shaft 19 is a disc 39 upon which a roller 40 is rotatably mounted upon a pin 41, The roller 40 is provided with a groove 42 extending entirely around the periphery thereof, said groove being so formed that when the roller 40 is brought into engagement with the edge of the flange 8 of the cover 6 that said flange will be bent downwardly and under the flange 5 of the can 4 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Fast to the shaft 23 is a disc 43 upon which a roller 44 is rotatably mounted upon a pin 45. The roller 44 is exactly like the roller 40 and is provided with a groove 46 extending entirely around the periphery thereof, the functions of which are the same as the functions of the groove 42 of the roller 40.

The general operation of the device is as follows :*The cans 4 each with a cover 6 resting loosely thereon are fed by the carrier 2 moving in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 2 to a position between the discs 39 and 43 as illustrated in said Fig. 2, and after arriving at said point the carrier 2 is brought to a stop, The clamping member 33 is then lowered through the medium of the cams 20 and 24 rotating with the shafts 19 and 23 respectively until said clamping member contacts with the cover 6 within the depressed port-ion 7 thereof thereby temporarily clamping said cover to said can. The discs 39 and 43 rotating in the direction of the arrows b and (Z respectively are now in a position to immediately move the grooved rollers 40 and 44 into contact with the op posite edges of the flange 8 of the cover 6, the said flange contacting with the upper portion of the grooves of said rollers. Upon contacting with the edge of the cover, the rollers 40 and 4-4 will. be rotated in the direction of the arrows c and 0 respectively by reason of their contact with said cover and as the discs continue to rotate, that portion of the edge of said cover which contacts with the surface of the grooves of said rollers will first be turned downwardly and then inwardly with the result that after the rollers have finally been moved out of contact with the cover, that said cover will be clinched at the points engaged by said rollers as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. The

clamping member 33; is then lifted by the cams 20' and 24, after which the carrier 2 again moves forwardly moving the can with the cover clinched thereto out of position from between the discs 39 and 43 and at the same time moving another can with a cover loosely mounted thereon into a position between said discs. The mechanism as described forms a clinched portion, the ends of which are very gradual, and the subsequent action in the double seamer is extremely smooth and wear on the rolls of the double seamer is avoided and the deformation of the metal of the can is so gradual that in no case will there be cracks at either end of the space where the clinch occurs.

I claim:

3.. device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a carrier adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, means to temporarily clamp said cover to said can, a pluralityof discs, a grooved roller rotatably mounted upon each disc and means to rotate said discs to move said rollers into engagement with the edge of said cover upon opposite sides thereof simultaneously and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length upon both sides thereof.

2. A device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a carrier adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, means to temporarily clamp said cover to said can, a plurality of discs, a grooved roller eccentrically positioned upon each disc and also rotatably mounted there, on, means to rotate said discs and thereby move said rollers through a curved space of contact with the edge of said cover on opposite sides thereof simultaneuosly and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length upon both sides thereof.

3. A device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a carrier adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, means to temporarily clamp said cover to said can, a plurality of discs, a grooved roller eccentrically positioned upon each disc and also rotatably mounted thereon, means to rotate said discs in unison in opposite directions and thereby move said rollers through a curved space of contact with the edge of said cover upon opposite sides thereof simultaneously and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length upon both sides thereof.

4. A device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a support, a carrier slidably mounted upon said support and adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, a frame, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted upon said frame, a slide mounted in said frame, a clamping member fast to said slide, means fast to said shafts and operatively connected with said slide adapted to move said clamping member into engagement with said cover to clamp said cover to said can, a disc fast to each of said shafts, a grooved roller rotatably mounted upon each disc and means to rotate said shafts and thereby move said rollers into engagement with the edge of said cover on opposite sides thereof and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length upon both sides thereof.

5. A device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a support, a carrier slidably mounted upon said support and adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, a frame, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted upon said frame, a slide mounted in said frame, a clamping member fast to said slide, a cross bar also fast to said slide, cam rolls fast to the opposite ends of said cross bar, a cam fast to each of said shafts engaging said cam rolls and adapted to move said clamping member into engagement With said cover to clamp said cover to said can, a disc fast to each of said shafts, a grooved roller rotatably mounted upon each disc and means to rotate said shafts in unison in opposite directions and thereby rotate said discs to move said rollers into engagement With the edge of said cover upon opposite sides thereof and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length on opposite sides thereof.

6. A device for clinching covers to cans having, in combination, a support, a carrier slidably mounted upon said support and adapted to feed a can having a cover loosely mounted thereon, a frame, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted upon said frame, a slide mounted in said. frame, a clamping member fast to said slide, a cross bar also fast to said slide, cam rolls fast to the opposite ends of said cross bar, a cam fast to each of said shafts engaging said cam rolls and adapted to move said clamping member into engagement With said cover to clamp said cover to said can, means embodied in said frame adapted to guide said cross bar to prevent the rotation of said slide, a disc fast to each of said shafts, a grooved roller rotatably mounted upon each disc and means to rotate said shafts in unison in opposite directions and thereby rotate said discs to move said rollers into engagement with the edge of said cover upon opposite sides thereof and thereby clinch said cover to said can for a portion of its length on opposite sides thereof. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. DUB-ANT. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN E. LoW, KATRYN M. JOYCE. 

